New Delhi: Both houses of parliament were adjourned sine die yesterday after 23 days of acrimony, but the war of words continued, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching a scathing attack on the Congress and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi daring Modi to extradite former IPL chief Lalit Modi.
On the last day of a wasted session that began on July 21, the Congress staged yet another walkout from the Lok Sabha demanding the resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for helping Lalit Modi to secure travel documents in Britain.
The Rajya Sabha was calm yesterday after many days. It was adjourned after three outgoing members, including H K Dua, called for an end to the recurring paralysis of parliament in their farewell speeches. No sooner after the houses were adjourned, leaders of the BJP and its allies took out a “Save Democracy” march to denounce what they called was a Congress-induced parliament logjam.
Among those who marched from Vijay Chowk to Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in parliament complex were BJP stalwart L.K. Advani, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Prime Minister Modi, who reached the Lok Sabha just before it was adjourned, came down heavily on the Congress when he later addressed MPs from the BJP and its allies. He called the conduct of Congress MPs, who despite their fewer numbers virtually crippled the Lok Sabha, with the Emergency era of 1975-77 when democratic rights were curbed. Modi also referred to the boycott of NITI Aayog meeting by Congress chief ministers and the critical remarks of Congress leaders after the Naga peace pact.
The prime minister said that Congress politics was oriented towards “saving a family”, and he told NDA MPs to hold protests in constituencies represented by Congress and Left MPs over a month.
Modi’s aggression had no impact on the Congress, whose vice president Rahul Gandhi took potshots at the prime minister.
He dared Modi to extradite Lalit Modi, who is sought by the Enforcement Directorate.
The monsoon session was a washout due to opposition protests, mainly over Sushma Swaraj and the Vyapam recruitment scandal in Madhya Pradesh.
Dejected Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she did her best to resolve the deadlock in the house, but in vain.
IANS
